Instant Alert: Here's our best guess for when you'll be able to buy the iPhone XS

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Here's our best guess for when you'll be able to buy the iPhone XS

by Kif Leswing on Aug 31, 2018, 10:34 AM

Apple is going to launch new iPhones next month on September 12.
But when will you be able to pre-order them, and when will they ship to customers?
Our best guess is preorders will begin on Friday, September 14, and shipments on Friday, September 21.
Here's why, based on Apple's history of iPhone launches.

When will you be able to buy Apple's new iPhones?

We don't know yet, but there's enough information to make a solid guess.

For Americans and other early markets, you will probably be able to pre-order a new iPhone model on Friday, September 14.

It will probably ship to your door and go on sale in stores on Friday, September 21.

How we arrived at those dates:

Apple sent out invites to a special event on its campus on Thursday. That launch event, which is widely expected to focus on iPhones and new Apple Watch models, is taking place on September 12.

Last year, Apple revealed the iPhone 8 and iPhone X on September 12.

The iPhone 8 was available to preorder three days later, on Friday, September 15. People started getting them a week later, on Friday, September 22.

The 15th and the 22nd fall on Saturday this year, so it's possible that Apple will choose to schedule the pre-order and shipping dates to coincide with the Friday after the launch again, thus the 14th and the 21st.

Last year, in a break from tradition, Apple also made the iPhone X available to pre-order more than six weeks after it was revealed, on Friday, October 27. People started getting them in the mail on Friday, November 3.

This year, Apple is expected to release three phones. Two are versions of this year's iPhone X, and 9to5Mac has reported they will be called iPhone XS. Those will probably go on pre-order the Friday after the launch event.

But Apple is also expected to release a lower-cost version of the iPhone X that's closer to $700 than $1,000. Analysts have predicted a "slightly later" release date for that device — so it could come out sometime in October.

Of course, there's always a staggered launch — some countries get an earlier release date than others. Last year, the first wave included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, the US and US Virgin Islands.